Peace & Privacy
by W5Lex
Summary: Dimitri notices Erin's stress following the kidnap of her daughter. He takes her away for a couple of hours to give her a chance to relax.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I actually have a few more Erin/Dimitri fics that are finished, but I've chosen this one because it's one of the more plausible ones, in preparation for the next one I plan to upload which I think is less realistic. So, here you go – please take a few seconds to review… :)**

Dimitri glances at his slightly weary eyed colleague. A light shadow darkens her eyes from what he can only assume must be sleepless nights, and despite her insistence otherwise; he can tell that she isn't okay. But then, in her situation, who would be? It's less than two weeks since Rosie was kidnapped, and though Dimitri is doing his best to offer all the help he can without imposing on her life, there isn't all that much he can do. The stress is taking its toll and so in that moment, he decides that maybe the scolding he'll risk receiving, in offering more help, will be worth it if it makes her feel better.

The moment he is waiting for comes only a few minutes later as Erin takes the coat off the back of her chair and turns to leave. Dimitri's eyes snap to her, and he follows suit, jogging a few steps in order to catch up with her.

"Erin," his words are soft as he gently raises a hand to her arm, careful not to frighten her.

She doesn't stop, but her pace slows and she musters half a smile, which is about all she can manage at this point. He keeps pace, walking alongside her, and asking his question. "Who's looking after Rosie tonight?"

She raises an eyebrow at him, and she can't help the way her mind instantly presents the worse case scenario. Her mind lingers on the picture of Rosie's frightened face until she finally manages to pull herself together. "My mum."

Dimitri nods, he knows she didn't bring the car today, he saw her get off the bus. As they walk out into the cold winter air, he gently takes hold of her hand and veers towards his car. "Call her, tell her you'll be a bit late." Erin shoots him a look of confusion, though a small smile plays at her lips due to the fact that nobody has done anything like this to her since…high school. Adults don't just spring surprises on people, pulling them to dimly lit corners of abandoned car parks. And yet, when it's Dimitri, she finds herself wishing that it _did _happen more often.

They lower themselves into the warmth of the car, and though she has absolutely no idea where her colleague is taking her, Erin does as he says, hanging up only after she's said goodnight to her daughter. She listens to him make a mysterious phone call of his own; she can just about deduce that it's something to do with where they're going. He flashes her a sideways smirk, the one that only ever seems to appear when he talks to her, and she frowns at him. "Dee, where are we going?"

The smile grows and his eyes sparkle in the dim light, "You'll see."

Erin watches him as he drives, silently casting her mind back over the last couple of weeks. Of all the people Erin had expected support from, she hadn't even thought of Dimitri. She can't put her finger on why – maybe it's age, though he is only a couple of years younger than her; maybe it's the fact that she's his boss; or maybe simply that she doesn't often get to see that side to him, though she's noticed it more and more recently. In fact, Erin can't help but feel a little guilty having dismissed him so quickly; maybe she'd been wrong. She shrugs to herself and smiles, whatever she _had_ thought before, her opinion had changed.

Dimitri had been the first to call, the first to visit, he'd come in to check on Rosie, and to check on Erin. Maybe it does threaten her independence slightly, but she doesn't see a problem with that, at least not when it's him.


	2. Chapter 2

Dimitri parks sideways across three spots as he cuts the engine in the empty car park. Erin peers out the window for some evidence or a clue as to where they are. As of yet, she can't even tell whether the surprise is a nice one or not. All that stands in the darkness of the expanse of grass is a single building. It looks as though it must have at least three storeys. She can just about make out reflections in the glass walls of the structure, and it looks empty. Dimitri gets out, walks to the boot of the car, and pulls out a blanket.

Erin follows suit and examines his face, still looking for an explanation, and still, he gives none. He takes her by the hand once again and leads her towards the building. A motion sensitive light blinds them as they get close, and Dimitri tugs her towards the door. He knocks on the window for a few seconds before a tall black man opens it with a smile. Erin surveys his uniform and decides he must be some kind of security guard or an employee of the building.

"Omar," Dimitri smiles as he tucks the blanket under his arm and extends his free hand. Omar looks down at Erin. Dimitri comes in every so often, but he can't ever remember a time when he hasn't come alone. "This is Erin." Omar examines her face. She's pretty; angular face, long dark hair, nice clothes. Dimitri's deception kicks in as Omar wonders whether she too works in the City.

He gives a slightly uncomfortable wave and moves out of the way of the door, granting them entry. "Nice to see you again Dimitri, you haven't visited in a while." He has a thick African tone to his voice, the kind that soothes in seconds.

Dimitri nods in agreement. "Yeah, it's been too long really."

Omar hands him a drink flask that he's prepared for them and locks the door behind them. "I'm on shift till nine." Dimitri checks his watch; half past seven. He nods an assurance that they'll be done by then.

Erin glances down at their intertwined hands; if it were anyone else, she knows that she would have taken her hand back by now, but she finds the warmth it provides comforting, so she makes no move to change that as he presses the button to the lift.

He lets go as they step in, but he remains close, placing a comfortable hand on the small of her back as he leads her out of the elevator.

Erin looks around the room. The square box is completely empty, not a single object in sight. He watches her from a slight distance for a second, smiling at her confusion. Then, he takes the steps towards her, guiding her to the middle of the room.

He lays the blanket on the floor and straightens his body out, finally looking up to the ceiling to offer an explanation.


	3. Chapter 3

As he watches Erin take the sight in, Dimitri lies down on the blanket. He grins at her amazement as she gazes up at the stars in the sky. The roof of the building is nothing but a transparent piece of glass, and the combination of the quiet room and the stunning view are almost breath taking. The clear building reveals a dark night sky, lit up only by the light of the half moon and glistening stars. Apart from the occasional aeroplane passing over them, the sky is quiet.

She looks back down to Dimitri, and he pats the ground next to him as he pulls off his jacket and kicks off his shoes. She follows him, elegantly stepping out of her heels and lying next to him.

He offers his arm and she gives him a sceptical look. "The floor gets uncomfortable," he warns. It's only half an excuse. Her eyes grow even more disbelieving at his explanation, but she lifts her head, allowing Dimitri to slip his arm between her and the floor.

They stay silent for ten minutes, just taking in the sight and relishing the chance to relax after a hard week. For Erin, it is the first time she's truly been able to let go in two weeks. "I bet they _love _this," she says, breaking the silence.

Dimitri turns to look at her, and she keeps her eyes fixed on the sky – she knows that if she turns to look into his eyes at this moment, she won't be able to look away. When she doesn't turn, he frowns at her and asks, "Who's _they_?"

She rolls her eyes, aware that he still has his eyes trained on her.

"The people you bring here," she says simply.

He looks back up to the sky as he says the words. "I've never brought anyone here before." She looks at him incredulously for a few seconds; the smirk is still there. "This place is calm, and if bringing other friends here were to compromise that, I think I'd go insane." In his time at MI5, this is the only place he's found where he can truly get away from it all.

"So why did you bring me?"

Erin feels him shrug gently underneath her. "You're different." He can feel her eyes still analysing him, but he refuses to say any more.

Erin sits up and brushes away a few stray hairs. As Dimitri watches her he can tell that that had not been what she was expecting. It's not; though she has absolutely no reason to believe it, Erin had the impression he was a ladies man. Though never having seen any evidence that it was true, his charming smile, flirty conversation, and tall, dark, brooding good looks have coloured her judgement of him. Unfair really.

Pleased that he seems to have caught her off guard, Dimitri – his head still on the floor, arm still outstretched - asks a question. "Tea?" His voice is quiet but low. He's always preferred the traditional English brew to its American substitute and at her nod, he uses his arms to push himself upright.

He pours the hot drink into the lid of the flask, and hands it to her. Dimitri watches her as she takes a few sips, the warmth spreading as she swallows, and hands it back to him. He drains the container and lies back down.

Erin looks at him for another moment, then nestles back into his arm. He curls it around her this time, turning the arm into an embrace rather than the pillow it was five minutes ago. Erin returns her eyes to the sky above them, and the room is completely silent except for their soft breaths. She watches him out of the corner of her eye, and wonders why it's taken her so long to realise how much she likes him. The signs have been there.

Ever since they started working together, both have silently acknowledged the physical attraction to themselves, but they both know it's grown into more than that. Dimitri cherishes not only every moment he spends with her, but also those few spent with Rosie. Erin and Rosie mirror the feelings, and she knows that the last person she let get as close to her as Dimitri now is, was Rosie's father. With the man long gone and almost certain never to return, she has been reluctant to let another man meet her daughter. And though Rosie's meeting Dimitri was under less than fortunate circumstances, she can't help but feel that she would eventually have let him in anyway.

As though sensing her series of revelations, Dimitri lays his free arm across his chest and takes hold of her hand. She doesn't object.

They lie quiet for another half an hour before Dimitri breaks the silence. "You ready to go?" He makes no effort to move yet.

Erin nods and lifts her head allowing Dimitri to retrieve him arm. He gets up, stretches, offers a hand, which she takes to pull herself off the floor. He wraps the flask in the blanket and they both slip back into their shoes before he offers a hand.

With a smile, she takes it, and they walk back down to the ground floor.

Erin still can't tell whether this relationship is strictly platonic, or more. She knows that, professionally speaking, the former is certainly more appropriate. Though every time she tries to convince herself of such, she remembers Harry's attitude towards such rules, and finds herself back where she started. She's sure she's setting herself up for disappointment by hoping for more; after all, she's a single mother, she's in no doubt that Dimitri could do better, and she's even more convinced that this is how he behaves around most people. One thing that bothers her though: he's said that she was the first person he'd brought here. She's still not sure she believes that.

Dimitri gives a wave to Omar, who is stood by the door ready to let them out. "Thanks Omar, have a good night."

He nods at Dimitri, then at Erin, and then lets his eyes drift down to their hands again. Erin notices his movements and realises that Dimitri must have been telling the truth when he said he'd never brought anyone here before.

**A/N: Apologies for this being so late. There's only one chapter left, and it's a shorter one. I'll be uploading it tomorrow, along with the first chapter of the next fic. Be warned: this next one is the less plausible one I mentioned earlier. Anyway, hope you're enjoying this one – please review, it means a lot. **


	4. Chapter 4

Dimitri turns up the heat once they're in the car, and speeds through the sparse traffic of London. Erin turns to watch him as they drive, and Dimitri's mouth pulls up into a small smile at the feel of her gaze on him. He keeps his eyes firmly on the road; he's a good driver, but he knows that if he looks at her, they'll end up wrapped around a tree. Finally, he pulls up outside her house, smoothly easing into an empty spot. Dimitri walks her to the door, and she turns to him in the doorway, unsure of what their parting calls for.

There's a short, uncomfortable moment before Dimitri makes the decision for her, and she can see what is coming as he takes a step towards her, looking down from his height advantage. Without releasing her gaze, he presses his lips softly to hers, finally letting his lids flutter shut. He allows himself to get lost in the moment, letting his nimble fingers explore the contours of her face and the waves of her hair.

He moves a hand to rest on her hip as Erin pulls away after almost half a minute, suddenly remembering that her mother is still in the house. She feels like a lovestruck teenager, worried her mum will catch her kissing a boy on the doorstep at the end of the night.

Dimitri hopes his eyes don't betray his sadness as they pull apart, and he reluctantly pulls away the hand that has settled at her neck, dropping the other to his side.

She looks behind her, and Dimitri soon realises the reason for the premature ending. He smirks down at her, the smile quickly returning, and pulls her body close into a hug. She clasps her arms around him, and realises that a hug is exactly what she needs; after two weeks of near-constant worry and concern, an evening with Dimitri has helped her relax.

After a minute or two, she pulls away from him, planting another quick kiss on his lips. "Come 'round tomorrow? Rosie would love to see you."

He nods and smiles as he backs down the front steps. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

**A/N: Sorry it's short. Didn't think it needed much else… change of plan – I'll be uploading the first chapter of the next fic tomorrow because I'm also trying to claw my way through a ten page economics essay. It's another Dimitri/Erin fic, with **_**a lot **_**of Rosie :) Hope everyone enjoyed this and please don't forget to review. x**


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